NAACP News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

Wilmington woman elected for third term as first female NC NAACP president

At the 82nd State Convention, delegates voted Deborah Dicks Maxwell as president for the third term. Maxwell is the first female president in the state's history. She previously served as president of the New Hanover County chapter.

Civil rights leader William Barber II accused by ex-wife of redirecting money from nonprofit

Former head of the North Carolina NAACP and civil rights leader Bishop William J Barber II is accused of redirecting funds from his nonprofit for his own personal use. The allegations were made in court documents filed in Durham County by Barber's ex-wife. Barber denies the allegations and the nonprofit calls them baseless.

DEBORAH DICKS MAXWELL: Griffin seeks rules change after proper votes were counted

Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 -- Republican Jefferson Griffin's attempt to undermine North Carolina voters is not just far-fetched, it's dangerous and threatens lasting damage to our state if successful.

Long-running NC lawsuit over racism and political power in court again

The NAACP lawsuit argues that for years the state legislature was so racially gerrymandered that GOP lawmakers lost their ability to claim to represent the entire state.

Judges debate long-running amendments lawsuit over race and political power in NC

The NAACP lawsuit argues that for years the state legislature was so racially gerrymandered that GOP lawmakers lost their ability to claim to represent the entire state.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Man faces decades in prison for Holly Springs pellet gun shootings in 2020

A Holly Springs man was sentenced Wednesday to decades in prison after a jury found him guilty in multiple pellet gun shootings dating back to 2020.

Shaun Gallagher, WRAL reporter

Closing arguments end in Holly Springs pellet gun case; Henderson Atwater maintains innocence

A verdict is expected Tuesday in the case for Henderson Atwater, a Holly Springs man charged in a series of pellet gun shootings from 2020.

Shaun Gallagher, WRAL reporter

Holly Springs pellet gun shootings: Man maintains innocence, NAACP calls for investigation

Advocates on Wednesday called for an investigation into the prosecution of a Holly Springs man charged in a series of pellet gun shootings from 2020.

Shaun Gallagher, WRAL reporter

Local NAACP Chapters spread message about the benefits of Medicaid expansion

Medicaid has been expanding in North Carolina. Hundreds of thousands have access to healthcare who did not have it before.

Following controversial rulings, lawsuit over the very legitimacy of NC's state legislature moving forward again

The legislature could not claim to have truly represented the citizens of North Carolina when it proposed the constitutional amendments, the NAACP argues, if it had purposefully diminished the political influence of untold numbers of Black voters through racial gerrymandering.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

After mistrial, man charged in Holly Springs pellet gun shootings back in court

Henderson Atwater, 47, has consistently claimed he is innocent.

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

NAACP files federal lawsuit over new NC voting maps

A new federal lawsuit is challenging North Carolina's political districts as racially gerrymandered, accusing Republican state lawmakers of drawing the lines in a way that artificially inflates the political power of white voters at the expense of Black voters.

NAACP sues over new NC political districts, saying they're racially gerrymandered

A new federal lawsuit is challenging North Carolina's political districts as racially gerrymandered, accusing Republican state lawmakers of drawing the lines in a way that artificially inflates the political power of white voters at the expense of Black voters.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Bond reduced for man charged in pellet gun shootings in Holly Springs

A judge on Monday drastically reduced the bond for a man charged in a series of pellet gun shootings in Holly Springs.

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

Editorial: Recent election exposes voter photo ID problems that need fixing

Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 -- Candidates, local and state election administrators and voters have much at stake in making sure voter ID procedures accomplish important objectives -- ensuring the voters casting ballots are, in fact, who they claim to be and more critical, making sure all eligible voters have easy and accessible ways to cast ballots.

NAACP, state lawmakers jostle over voter ID trial date as 2024 election looms closer

North Carolina's new voter ID rules were used for the first time in the 2023 elections. But a federal lawsuit could still block voter ID in 2024, if a trial happens soon enough.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Case of pellet gun shootings in Holly Springs ends in mistrial

Henderson Atwater has maintained his innocence since his 2021 arrest.

WRAL staff

NAACP calls for release of man, FBI Investigation into Holly Springs police after new video footage emerges

Henderson Atwater has maintained his innocence since his 2021 arrest. He is facing charges after authorities said he was behind a series of pellet gun shootings that started in March 2020.

Shelle Jackson, WRAL reporter

NAACP calling for FBI investigation into Holly Springs Police Department

The Raleigh NAACP is demanding an FBI Investigation into the Holly Springs Police Department. The group is questioning the arrest of a man for pellet gun shootings that took place more than two years ago.

Autopsy confirms former state NAACP president Rev. Anthony Spearman died of suicide

An autopsy report released on Tuesday shows that Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, former president of the North Carolina NAACP, died of a self-inflicted gun shot to the head.

WRAL News

Editorial: Legislature's emails are public records, belong to the people, must be maintained

Monday, Nov. 28, 2022 -- Emails don't belong to Senate leader Phil Berger, House Speaker Tim Moore or Legislative Services Director Paul Coble. The fact that many legislative emails are by law hidden from disclosure, still they are very much PUBLIC records. They are the property of the people.

NC lawsuit on political power hampered by lost emails, delayed by procedure, lawyers say

Lawmaker emails are typically deleted after three years in North Carolina, due to a policy shift last year. Now lawyers say they want old emails for a lawsuit and can't get them.

Travis Fain, WRAL state government reporter

Raleigh mass shooting victim's fiancé questioned vigil's focus

Rob Steele is the fiancé of the late Mary Marshall, one of the Raleigh mass shooting victims. Steele said he feels lied to and that Sunday's Raleigh Healing Together event carried too much of a political tone.

'I don't want to be a pawn': Fiancé of Raleigh mass shooting victim feels city-sponsored event was too politically charged

Rob Steele is the fiancé of the late Mary Marshall, one of the Raleigh mass shooting victims. Steele said he feels lied to and that Sunday's Raleigh Healing Together event carried too much of a political tone.

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

'Turbulent times' for state NAACP as civil rights group loses tax-exempt status

A big blow to the state's largest civil rights organization just months before the elections. The Internal Revenue Service revoked the tax-exempt status of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The revocation took place earlier this year, but was only made public by the IRS this month.

WRAL Investigates